PE stamp registration

[CowboyBill74]

Hello all -

Dont know if this subject matter has been discussed here before or not but I have heard rumors that engineers with a PE stamp will be required to register with a specific field of practice. Meaning that a Structural Engineer will have on his/her stamp the words "Structural Engineer", an Electrical Engineer will have "Electrical Engineer" and so on and so forth. Right now if I am not mistaken it is up to the Engineer to decided if he/she is capable of reviewing the plans and calculations before stamping the plans or calculations.

Do you think this is a good way to go with the PE stamp? If it goes in this direction do you think that the PE test will have to change formats and only offer specific fields instead of letting you take a general test in the morning and a more specific field type in the afternoon?

Thanks

 

[minerk]

This is a state specific issue. Some states already limit the field of practice to a particular subject, while others allow the engineer to decide if he/she is competent in a given area.

As for the PE exams, they are already discipline specific, there is no "General" session in the morning.

 

[CowboyBill74]

minerk -

I do realize that some states such as Calif. require that the engineer, for structual anyways, to have past the Sturctual I exam and Structural II exam. However as you stated not all states require this type of credentials in order to stamp drawings. However I do not believe that the PE stamp has Strutural Engineer on the stamp itself.

I have been taking the PE exam more times than I care to admit and there are morning sessions that have a general exam. Such as the civil exam, in the morning there are 40 questions that range all over the different fields of civil engineering, such as transportation, environmental, structural and so on. In the afternoon you are required to specify which exam you wish to take and there are 40 more field specific questions. I have been taking the Structural I exam which has 80 questions all structural. I know that mechanical has a general morning session and in the afternoon you are to specify wheather you are taking the HVAC or refrigeration and I believe there is another one as well. I am aware that there are already field specific exams I was just wondering if you think that it will change to where this is all that they will offer in the future.

 

[msquared48]

I think that it will always be a stepped process - leading to specialization in a specific branch, whatever it is. With time, it may even have to break down further in certain disciplines. At my age though, I don't have to worry 'bout dat.

Mike McCann
McCann Engineering

 

[JStephen]

Some states already require the field to be shown on the stamp, as a part of the stamp design. It doesn't seem to be a big issue one way or the other. All states require an engineer to practice within their field of competence, and it's not uncommon to have work that crosses over into several fields.

The main problem I have seen with this is when customers request specific seals even though the state rules of practice don't require that seal. For example, in California, there are very few applications that legally require a Structural PE seal but the prevailing attitude is that every outhouse must have an SE seal on it.

 

[JAE]

...well...Californians take their sitting time seriously,

 

[henri2]

In CA the seal must indicate branch of engineering. The state also issues license holders a card which indicates branch of engineering.

http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/boardrules.pdf

see sec 411 on pdf page 10 of 47 for seal requirements.